


Many Happy Returns

by DoctorV



Series: Archive: Doc's Old-Ass Comics Fic (DC, JLU, etc.) [19]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Justice League, Justice League International (Comic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jealousy, M/M, Pining, Ted's Alive And Everything's Terrible!, Unhealthy Relationships, return from the dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-17
Updated: 2005-12-17
Packaged: 2019-04-04 00:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorV/pseuds/DoctorV
Summary: Before, he just hated Beetle for dying and leaving Booster in wrecked little pieces for Guy to pick up and try to put back together. But now? Now he hates him for coming back and doing the same damn thing.





	Many Happy Returns

**Author's Note:**

> Archiving some old old OLD fanfic of mine. This was originally posted to LiveJournal 12/17/2005, with the author's note:  
> "I told myself, "Self, no more Booster/Guy. It's angsty and wrong." Then my self just sorta made a rude gesture and did this. *hangs head* How I made Beetle coming back a bad thing, I'll never understand."
> 
> Added to Ao3 (but backdated): 04/02/2018

Guy hates Beetle.

 

Before, he just hated him for dying and leaving Booster in wrecked little pieces for Guy to pick up and try to put back together. But now? Now he hates him for coming back and doing the same damn thing.

 

Only it's _not_ the same thing because now Beetle's there for Booster and all Guy can do is watch broken little Booster pieces following the man around like he's a goddamn holy grail.

 

It wouldn't be so bad if Beetle would just _do_ something about it, but he's _not_. He doesn't even seem to notice. When he laughed the other day it made Guy flinch, and when he looked over he could see Booster fighting back tears behind Beetle's back and it was just so _wrong_!

 

Guy hates it that he's become conditioned to react to Booster's misery. Teary blue eyes mean Guy has to _reach out and touch_ , to _comfort_. God help him, it means he has to give a damn.

 

He does. He gives a damn that Booster has everything he wanted back but skewed enough that he doesn't have anything.

 

Beetle came back with amnesia. He doesn't even remember enough to get it when Booster tries to kid him about faking it.

 

He remembers Booster, and that they were friends. He remembers Guy, and that...they weren't really friends. He doesn't remember just what shade of almost-friends-but-not-close-enough they were.

 

Guy was almost positive, before, that Booster and Beetle had been lovers. And if they were, Beetle doesn't remember a second of it.

 

What Guy should do is take Booster aside and go for the jugular, tell him to quit being a pansy and _tell_ Beetle.

 

What Guy _wants_ to do is take Booster aside and against a wall and suck on his jugular until Booster starts making those breathy whimpering sounds he still can't get out of his head.

 

And...God, it's not even _about_ the sex. The sex was great. Guy admits that willingly, and sometimes curls up with dreaming memories of it on nights when he feels a little lonely.

 

The problem is...it _should_ be about the sex.

 

Just the sex.

 

It shouldn't be about waking up to Booster's warm clinginess. Or the little smiles that are a far cry from Booster's grins of yesteryear, but are just for Guy. It shouldn't be about fighting for the remote, or being sickeningly domestic with shopping lists and discussing what to make for dinner.

 

Guy wants Booster to be happy, and he doesn't want to admit to any of it. But dammit, doesn't he deserve to be happy too? And Booster's _not_ happy. Anyone with brains and eyes could see it...couldn't they?

 

When Guy talks to Beatriz about it she looks confused and he tells her to _look_ , dammit. And then she does and she _gets_ it.

 

And then she helps him kidnap Booster and try to talk to him. And when he just shakes his head and denies everything in that stubborn way of his, Guy grabs him and pulls him close and kisses him with everything he's _got_.

 

Maybe Booster's conditioned too, because it can't be entirely comfortable but Booster still reacts. And maybe that's even what he's conditioned for.

 

But then he's pushing away and shaking his head and refusing to make eye contact. He's with Beetle.

 

"You're _not_ ," Guy tells him ruthlessly, ignoring Bea's surprise. "Beetle doesn't even remember you."

 

"He _will_ ," Booster whispers, and Guy can see tattered Booster shreds clinging desperately to the hope that Beetle will remember how much he means to the man.

 

In that moment, Guy almost wants to kill Beetle, because even though Booster missed him like crazy at least it was better than this Booster-shaped shadow holding it together with hope that could be tragically misplaced.

 

Guy hates Beetle.

 

But he hates what he's done to Booster more.


End file.
